US appoints special envoy for South Sudan

January 31, 2020 Newsbeat, South Sudan, USA

W. Stuart Symington IV, newly appointed Special Envoy for South Sudan (Photo: File)

January 31, 2020 (SSNN)—The United States Department of State has appointed W. Stuart Symington IV as Special Envoy for South Sudan.

“Special Envoy Symington will lead U.S. efforts to support the peace process and a successful political transition in South Sudan.”

Special Envoy Symington is a retired Ambassador who previously served as Chief of Mission to Nigeria from 2016-2019, to Rwanda from 2008-2011, and to Djibouti from 2006-2008. Ambassador Symington served as the U.S. Special Representative for the Central African Republic from 2014-2016.

There have been ties relations between South Sudan and the United States over the past few years, but the recent stalemate between South Sudan’s parties over the formation of a unity government sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries, prompting the United States to recall an ambassador from South Sudan.